Asian praying mantises are quietly spreading across Europe, and climate change is handing them every advantage they need. What makes this invasion so unsettling is not just how fast they are ...

The mantis shrimp packs a mean punch, smashing its victims’ shells with the force of a .22 caliber bullet. But that’s not because it has particularly powerful muscles – instead of big biceps, it has ...

Two striking Asian praying mantis species that have rapidly spread across Europe have now been officially classified as ...

One species of praying mantis has evolved a disguise so convincing that pollinators actively seek it out, turning their own ...

"Beautiful" and "deadly" are two descriptors you don’t typically see attached to shrimp. But the mantis shrimp is in a class of its own. This colorful specimen has earned a reputation for being one of ...

The mantis shrimp comes equipped with its own weapons. It has claws that look like permanently clenched fists that are known as dactyl clubs. But when it smashes the shells of its prey, these fists ...

When you think about fearsome predators in the ocean, the first thing that pops into your mind is probably a shark. Sure, sharks are OK, with their sleek, menacing shape and their gaping jaws with ...

Original artwork of a mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) (Linnaeus, 1758.) Plate is by artist Phan Hay in Manning, R.B., 1995, "Stomatopod Crustacea of Vietnam." (Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s ...